Oregon theme park riders stuck upside down
Emergency responders in Oregon rescued 30 riders who were left suspended upside down on an attraction at Oaks Park, among the oldest continuously operating amusement parks in the United States. (Credit: TikTok/Chris Ryan)
Two teenage girls who were trapped upside down for nearly half an hour after an amusement park ride malfunctioned in Oregon have been awarded $550,000 by a jury.
Jurors voted 10-2 this week to award the teens $275,000 apiece in their lawsuit against Oaks Park and ride manufacturer Zamperla, stemming from the June 2024 breakdown of the AtmosFEAR ride in Portland, FOX 12 Oregon reported.
The incident happened on June 14, 2024, when the spinning pendulum-style attraction became stuck in a vertical position, leaving about 30 riders stranded upside down.
At least 30 people were left hanging upside down at an amusement park in Portland, Ore., June 14, 2024. (Portland Fire & Rescue via X)
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Portland Fire & Rescue crews rushed to the scene and worked alongside park engineers to manually bring the ride down. After roughly 25 minutes, all riders were safely lowered and evaluated by medical personnel.
Following the verdict, Oaks Park issued a statement to FOX 12.
“While we agree that the ride should not have become stuck, we are grateful that all of the riders are safe, and this incident is now resolved,” the statement read. “Safety is our top priority, and we will continue to work with ride manufacturers and state inspectors to ensure rider safety.”
The family of one of the teens, identified as Evie, said Thursday that the lawsuit was intended to seek accountability.
Officials at the scene say the passengers were “stuck upside down” on the AtmosFEAR ride, in Portland, Ore., June 14, 2024. (Portland Fire & Rescue via X)
“We filed this lawsuit to seek accountability and justice. Not only should the ride have never malfunctioned, but the crisis was further exacerbated by the lack of a safety plan at Oaks Park. They did not possess any knowledge of how to fix the ride if it got stuck in the inverted position, and did not have a tool at the park to lower the ride and rescue the riders,” they told FOX 12.
“That required calling a 1-800 number to even know how to fix the ride, then wait for first responders to arrive on scene, and for the first responders to provide the tool. Additionally, Oaks Park evacuated the park without providing traffic control, which delayed first responders from being able to enter the park quickly in an emergency, prolonging suffering.”
The malfunction occurred on the park’s first day of the summer season. Video from the incident showed riders suspended vertically as people gathered below.
A spokesperson for Zamperla and Oaks Park did not immediately respond to News Outlet’s request for comment.
